The Silent Assassin
by Rogue Pryde
Summary: AU. Rogue and Wolverine are famous for being tough mutants. When the agency gets ahold of them, they manage to turn Rogue into the perfect assassin after years of torture and brainwashing. Woverine was saved by Rogue before she lost her soul, and eventual
1. Default Chapter

I know I said that I would wait . . . BUT, I can't. Sorry you guys, but I HAVE to start another fic! Wish me luck!  
  
And please Review!  
  
********~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~***** **~~~~~  
  
The man only known as 'Logan' pulled his cowboy hat low over his face, covering his distinctive features. For some reason he felt as though someone were following him. It wasn't any big thing for him to be able to say he was a wanted man, every mutant on the planet was 'wanted', but Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, had managed to give government agents the slip more than once. The posters of his face said he was a wanton murderer, and went on to describe a list of the most fearsome crimes imaginable. He hadn't even committed half of them!  
  
The other half . . .  
  
They had it coming to them, he firmly believed that. He had lived a long time thanks to his regenerative capabilities, and he had seen the cruelty humanity had to offer more than enough times. They would never learn from their mistakes, of that he was certain. Their were already plans for mutant 'camps' similar to what the Nazi's created during the Holocaust.  
  
Logan was a violent man by nature, and the anti-mutant bigots set his blood running. He couldn't be held accountable for his actions.  
  
Not unless they caught him.  
  
He didn't see himself as a 'rebel leader' or a 'freedom fighter' or anything else remotely heroic. He was just fed up with the totalitarian transformation taking over the government. So whenever he came across a mutant being 'registered', or unwillingly 'detained', he intervened.  
  
The fact that he loved a good fight might have had something to do with it.  
  
Regardless, he was something of a legend that mutants only whispered about on dark nights. He wasn't sure he liked that. The government was right about one thing. He WAS a murderer. But at least he killed the bad guys.  
  
He couldn't shake the nagging suspicion he was being followed. As he turned, heading towards a darkened street, he felt a tug at his back pocket. Growling, he whirled around, fists ready to release his adamantium claws.  
  
And than he froze.  
  
The culprit wasn't a government agent.  
  
It wasn't an assassin, paid to take him out.  
  
Or another mutant, out for blood.  
  
It was a girl, probably around eleven or twelve.  
  
Slowly he put his fists down, almost able to laugh at his immediate reaction to the little thief. Her gloved hand was empty, so he knew his wallet was safe. "What do you think you're doing?" He growled, deciding that a good scare would be good for the would-be criminal.  
  
"Y'all had somethin' on the back o' your pants." The southerner lifted her head defiantly, causing a strand of white hair to fall across her green eyes. "Ah was just brushin' it off for ya."  
  
Brown hair streaked with white . . . that was unusual. "Really?" Logan couldn't hide his amusement.  
  
She nodded, warming up to her story. "An' don't y'all even THINK Ah was checkin' out your butt mister, cause Ah wasn't." The girl even managed a blush. What an actress! Logan was impressed.  
  
"What's your name, Stripes?" He surprised himself by giving her the nickname. It wasn't like him to be so friendly. He HATED kids.  
  
"What's yours?" She countered with a tilt of her head.  
  
"I'm Logan." He stuck out his hand gravely, as if introducing himself to a distinguished woman.  
  
"Ah'm Stripes." She mocked, clasping his warm hand into her gloved one. He burst out laughing.  
  
"Don't they call you anything else, kid?" He noticed her flinch at the word 'kid'.  
  
"There ain't nobody to call me nothin', but Ah guess y'all can call me Rogue."  
  
"Now, what kind of a name is Rogue?" He wanted to add, 'for a little girl', but he didn't think that'd sit well with her.  
  
"What kind of a name is 'Wolverine'?" Their eyes met, and he saw a painful wisdom in her emerald depths. "Ah saw the posters a couple o' blocks back."  
  
"So you were following me." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Maybe Ah was, maybe Ah wasn't." She shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"Normally pickpockets don't go through so much effort to find a victim." He crossed his arms.  
  
"Ya forgot, Ah'm not a pickpocket, Ah'm just a kind citizen that tried to help clean your pants." Her eyes twinkled. She was obviously enjoying toying with him.  
  
He regarded her thoughtfully. It was possible she was a mutant. Her hair was odd enough anyway, and that could be why she decided to follow him. She probably wanted join the 'cause' or something. "You're really good at avoiding my questions, aren't you?"  
  
"You're just not asking the right ones, Sugah." A smile played at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Why were you following me?" The look in his eyes told her to stop playing games.  
  
"Ah wanted ta talk ta ya." She met his gaze defiantly. He waited patiently for her to continue. "Ah figured Ah could get your attention easy enough by takin' your wallet."  
  
He snorted. "Well now you have it, Stripes, Rogue, whatever your name is."  
  
"Rogue." She lifted her chin haughtily. "Mah name is Rogue, an' Ah'm a mutant too, Logan." She emphasized his name. He had to force himself not to smile. The girl was cheeky, that was for sure. If he wasn't careful, he'd get attached to the spitfire.  
  
"So?" Her shoulders slumped. He wasn't gonna make this easy for her, was he?  
  
"SO, Ah was wonderin' if y'all were headin' mah way?" There. It was out. She met his gaze squarely.  
  
"I don't think so kid. Wolverines aren't team players. Why don't you go back home to your family? I'm sure they're worried sick." He tugged at his jacket, making him look even tougher.  
  
The girl refused to be intimidated. "Rogue's aren't team players either. Ah'm not lookin' for a baby sitter, Ah can take care of mahself. But ain't it okay ta have someone at your back? Just in case?"  
  
He stared at her. She sounded like a veteran fighter, by she was only a kid. "That's what family is for."  
  
"An' if their the one's ya need ta watch out for?" Her eyes were unreadable.  
  
"Than you've got a real hard life ahead of you, Stripes." He reevaluated her with his eyes.  
  
She shifted under his gaze. "Ah don't want, or need, your pity."  
  
"An' you don't have it."  
  
She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a voice from the end of the street.  
  
"I thought it was you, Wolverine." The masculine voice was decidedly snide. "Back up will be here soon, and than me and you are going on a little trip."  
  
Logan groaned inwardly. Obviously, it hadn't been the girl he'd felt following him. "Leave." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, casting her a warning glance.  
  
"Fat chance." Her gloved fists clenched and her jaw tightened. He would have admired her spunk if it weren't so misplaced.  
  
"Over here boys!"  
  
Back up had arrived.  
  
With the cry, the Wolverine leapt forward, unsheathing both sets of claws before landing amidst the agents. The street was empty, so he didn't have to worry about hurting bystanders.  
  
Not that he would have been worried.  
  
His rage took over. Maybe it was part of his mutation, or maybe he just had anger management problems. Whatever the case, something took over him in the heat of the battle, something fierce and deadly. When the fight ended, it was like waking up from a hazy dream.  
  
He glanced around at the dead bodies surrounding him. Fourteen. But hadn't there been seventeen?  
  
He turned, emitting a low growl from his throat, but stopped short at what he found.  
  
Rogue was calmly pulling her glove back on, seemingly unaware of the three bodies at her feet. One of them had bruises, as though he'd been beaten severely, but the other two didn't have a mark on them, though they reeked of being near death.  
  
Another glance at the girl told him he might have been wrong about her being calm. Tears glistened in her dark green eyes, though she blinked rapidly to hide them.  
  
"Hey, kid--" She jerked her hand up, successfully silencing him as she dealt with an internal battle. After a few moments of quiet, she seemed to have regained her composure.  
  
"Sorry." She said shortly. "Ah got a bit confused there."  
  
He gestured meaningfully towards the bodies. "How?"  
  
"Ah told you Ah was a mutant." She wouldn't meet his gaze. "When someone touches mah . . .mah skin, they get hurt. Usually, they go into a coma. Than Ah get their minds. If it's a mutant Ah touch, Ah get their powers. Ordinary humans, Ah get their knowledge and other abilities. Like him." She pointed to one of the fallen, unmarked men. "He was an expert in hand to hand fighting, so Ah used that against his buddy here." She gestured to the bruised man. Her hand moved to signify the last of the unconscious agents. "He touched me when Ah was fighting the other one."  
  
"Is that why you're all covered up?" It was a stupid question, but he didn't know what to say. That was a rare thing for him.  
  
"Yeah. And uh, sorry again for what happened right after. It gets kinda loud in here." She tapped the side of her skull. "Sometimes Ah need to concentrate to shut them up."  
  
He had to try very hard to hide the horror her words brought about. She was untouchable. This spunky girl that would grow to be a courageous woman would never again feel the touch of another human being unless it was in a combat situation. It was amazing she didn't go insane if the voices really did stick around. "What did you say your name was again?"  
  
"Rogue." She flashed him a grin. "So where're we headed?"  
  
"We're gonna find a place to stay for the night." If he noticed her grin grow at the word 'we're' he didn't say anything.  
  
He didn't know it at the time, but over the course of the next three years she would become legendary with him. The Rogue and the Wolverine were the two fiercest mutant fighters, and they never got caught. The mere mention of their names inspired hope in desperate mutates.  
  
They didn't know the Rogue was only a girl, that she'd met Logan when she was twelve.  
  
They didn't know that the Wolverine was dealing with his own demons from his past, and that the only thing he 'really' cared about was the stripe- haired girl.  
  
They didn't know that the woman-child fought for her sanity daily.  
  
They didn't know of the nightmares that haunted the feral man.  
  
Legends are fully of not-knowings, but somewhere, someone knew. And that someone was waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture the two 'heroes' . . . alive.  
  
Project Mutant Assassin would soon be underway.  
  
~**~*~*~*~~**~*~~**~*~*~*~*~~**~~**~*~*~*~~**~*~~**~*~*~~**~~**~*~*~*~*~~**~ ~**~*~*  
  
Okay, I'm ending it here. Not much angst yet. There will be more in the second, but especially third, chapters. Five stories at once . . . what AM I doing to myself?! Oh well. Anyways, for the record, I update by number of reviews. So if my other fics get more reviews than this, it'll be a long time before this is updated. So if you like, tell me! ;o) 


	2. Capture

Hey! Yay! I updated! And YAYAYAYAAY for you guys! This got 20 REVIEWS! That's like, REALLY REALLY good for a first chapter! I love you ALL! Thank you! *Smiles like a big dork* anyways! Here are the shout outs!  
  
BerserkerRageX-Girl: I LOVE Rogue and Wolverine together! I think they make the BEST team. I'm not big on them as a romance thing, though I can stand it. But they make the BEST best friends and fighting team! I'm glad you like!  
  
Z: I'm glad you liked it! I'm doing my best to update. It's hard keeping up with 5 stories! Oh well, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Rogue15: I'm glad you LOVEd it, lol, that's awesome! I'm updating as fast as I can! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Trunksblue: It caught your attention? That's AWESOME! I hate doing Bio's so I know mine suck, I'm glad you liked the first chapter though! Hopefully this one will be just as good!  
  
Rogue31: Just to clarify, the only reason she said "Wolverine" is because she saw the posters. She says that in the next sentence. "I saw the posters a couple of blocks back." By saying that, she's letting him know that she knows who he is, and what he is. Does that make sense? I'm SO sorry I wasn't clear enough! I'll try to do better and I really hope you like chapter 2!  
  
Coyote Fire: I had fun phrasing the end! I'm glad someone noticed. I put effort to make it sound cooler. Lol, it was the closest I could get to a cliffhanger on this chapter! Enjoy the next chappie!  
  
Chaos: Yay! I hope this chapter's been worth the wait!  
  
Infinity-x-forever: Don't worry! Gambit will be in it! I'm a diehard Romy fan, so I assure you there will be some of that! I just haven't decided quiet yet what his entrance will be . . . but he'll be in there, rest assured!  
  
Icy Flame: You're awesome for liking it! I'm glad you haven't read something like this before. I was afraid it would have been done many times over. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!  
  
Gub-man: I LOVE Rogue/Logan Friendships! They're so much fun to write, and I think their personalities are perfect for it. I'm really glad you thought I pulled it off well. I was afraid I'd demolish it or something, lol. Enjoy the next chapter!  
  
Winged_frog: yet? That's awesome! I'll look forward to what you think of the others! I'm updating!! This one did really well in the reviews, I still can't believe it! Enjoy!  
  
Yumiko: Of course Remy is gonna appear! *Gets starry eyed too* He's totally awesome! And I'm a romy fan! It might not be for a few chapters though . . .  
  
Bettie-chan: Thanks! I'm really REALLY happy you liked it! I get all warm and fuzzy inside! (I know, I'm a nerd, but who cares?) I'll look forward to what you think of this chapter!  
  
The Weird One: Yay! One of my other readers read this! I feel so loved! You took my word on it and read it! Lol, I'm a spaz. I hope it continues to meet your approval!  
  
Girl Number 1: I'm glad I have the IT! That's awesome! I really don't understand the whole Victor Creed thing (sorry, I haven't read enough comics I guess), but it's not gonna be Rogue hating the world, or having control. It's more like, after being forced to absorb certain people who are LOYAL to the bad guys (though I can't say more than that) the other voices kinda take over and Rogue hates herself, not the world. She kinda dies out, cuz she can't hear herself think and stuff. But than something happens.... You have to read the fic, I can't explain it. But if that's not what you want, I'm really realy sorry!  
  
Lady Destiny: My first reviewer for this fic! I love you! Lol, I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Isandahalf: I feel very special! Wowzers that's cool! Though I'd have to say you're just easily impressed, lol. I really hope you like the rest of this! I look forward to your reviews!  
  
Dangerous Q-Tip: I'm a big fan of Wolverine/Rogue friendships too (in case you couldn't tell) I'm thrilled I met your approval! Let me know what you think of this chapter too please!  
  
Baby-horses-unicorn: YAY! Thank you! I'm SO happy you liked it!!!!!!!!! I really really really hope you like the next chapter too!  
  
ZIEL: I'd have to agree! Lol, Rogue is the BEST and Logan closely follows. I adore Gambit too though, so he'll be in here too. I hope you like the rest of the story! Let me know!  
  
Okay! All done! Enjoy!  
  
**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Three years later . . .  
  
"I said no, and that's FINAL Stripes!" The feral man shot the dark haired girl a glare that would have scared the Hulk spitless.  
  
But not her.  
  
"Y'all aren't bein' fair Logan!" The southerner knew she was mighty close to whining, but didn't care. "Ah'm old enough to risk mah life, and Ah fight just as good as you, but Ah can't come with ya ta listen in on a conversation?"  
  
He shot her a look. "You're nowhere NEAR as good as me."  
  
She threw back her head and laughed, reminding him of how young she really was. The stripe-haired fifteen-year-old had definitely improved as a fighter, and while there was no way she could take him yet, he wasn't so sure about the near future.  
  
"An' for the last time, you CAN'T come with me. It's a bar. It's not legal."  
  
"Since when do YOU care about what's legal?" Her voice had mocking undertones hidden in the deep drawl.  
  
"Since it involved YOU going somewhere with alcoholic beverages." He shuddered as an image of a drunk Rogue flashed through his mind. "It ain't happening."  
  
"You." She glared pointedly. "Are no fun, mister."  
  
He grinned at her, a devil may care grin, glad to have won without any further argument. "Nope, but I DO have a mission for you."  
  
Her eyes shone. "What is it?"  
  
***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************* ~~~~~~~  
  
"Grocery shopping." Rogue grumbled to herself, pulling on her boots as she prepared to leave their apartment. "Ah hate ya." She growled, half-wishing Wolverine could hear her. Suddenly her whole face lit up. Wolverine had taken the bus to the restaurant where the two politicians were meeting so they couldn't use his vehicle as a way to recognize him later.  
  
Which meant . . .  
  
"Whoo-hoo!" She punched the air.  
  
A few minutes later, Rogue exited the apartment parking lot . . . on a certain someone's motorcycle . . .  
  
************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Wolverine slid onto a barstool, and turned his attention to the bartender. "I'll have a beer." Nonchalantly, he let his eyes wander to the entrance. The politicians were due to arrive in about thirty minutes.  
  
He allowed himself to think back to when he had found out about the meeting. He and Rogue had split up at one of the anti-mutant rallies, hoping to overhear something important. They both refused to call themselves freedom fighters. They were just anti-imprisonment based on genes. Rogue had turned up dry, but Logan had overheard quite an interesting conversation. The two men, whom he had later surmised were politicians, had agreed to meet at Murphy's Bar to discuss their plans in more depth.  
  
Logan would never understand what drove people to have secret meetings in public restaurants. They were just ASKING to be overheard.  
  
These particular men, had plans for a project called "Mutant Assassin." They had discussed it briefly, and Wolverine only knew that it was due to happen any day now. It had been in the making for years.  
  
He took a sip of his beer and waited.  
  
*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Rogue contemplated the list in front of her. It read:  
  
Honey baked ham  
  
Carrots  
  
Potatoes  
  
Cereal  
  
Eggs  
  
Milk  
  
Apples  
  
She snorted. Aloud she said, "Okay, that's pizza, cheeto's, cereal, eggs, coffee, and ice cream. Ah couldn't have said it better mahself." The southerner rolled her eyes. Did he really expect her to buy CARROTS?!  
  
Grabbing a shopping car, she hurried to grab all the groceries. It didn't take long. She knew where the important food was by heart. She paid, and left, noting that the bike needed gas.  
  
There was a gas station right outside Murphy's Bar.  
  
She grinned evilly.  
  
******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Wolverine's ears perked at the sound of a bell jingling and he turned towards the door. The two 'politicians' walked in, smirking smugly. They were quickly followed by twenty armed soldiers.  
  
Logan shot to his feet, causing the taller businessman to laugh. "Sit down Logan. Wolverine. There's no where for you to run." He motioned for the guards to close in. "We need to have a talk, you and I."  
  
The guards obviously didn't expect any resistance due to their overwhelming numbers, but they were in for a surprise. With a roar, Wolverine leapt to his feet and ran to the nearest window, not even pausing before he tore through it. The sound of splintering glass was quickly followed by gunshots.  
  
*************~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~*****  
  
Rogue smiled politely as the gas station attendant gave her the change. "Thanks sugah." It couldn't hurt to be nice. The boy smiled, and she felt like rolling her eyes. It sure didn't take much to make a man happy. She pocketed the change and slid onto the motorcycle, wheels squealing as she headed towards Murphy's Bar.  
  
Just as she pulled into the parking lot, she heard the sound of glass shattering. Her eyes widened as she saw Wolverine being pursued by a small army of soldiers.  
  
"Hop on!" She ordered, swerving in front of him.  
  
For one crazy instant he looked mad. "That's my BIKE!" He growled, sliding in behind her.  
  
"Yup." She bit her lip as she swerved onto the street, forcing the bike to go top speed. Logan winced as skid marks formed.  
  
"My bike!" He moaned.  
  
The agents apparently had left some of their men in a vehicle just in case, because now they were being followed by a large unmarked van.  
  
"Don't worry, Ah can lose it." Rogue grinned, enjoying the thrill. She managed to get the bike to go even faster, barely dodging buildings, statues, and other cars. Logan tightened his grip around her waist, causing her to laugh.  
  
"You're psycho." He said it matter of factly.  
  
"Thank ya!" Her smile was dazzling as she turned to face him.  
  
"Eyes on the road Stripes!"  
  
"Oops. Sorry Sugah!"  
  
Wolverine closed his eyes and prayed fervently that there wouldn't be anymore oopses.  
  
**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***** *******  
  
"Ah think we lost 'em." Rogue allowed herself to slow down the motorcycle.  
  
"Think again." Wolverine heard the van seconds before it turned around the corner. "Move!" He grabbed the handle and revved the engine, causing the bike to jerk before it sped up.  
  
The groceries spilt to the ground.  
  
"Mah cheeto's!" Rogue practically growled as she turned onto the highway. She hadn't had cheeto's in months!  
  
Those government agents were so dead.  
  
Hitting the pedal for all she was worth, she turned down an empty street and headed straight for a brick building.  
  
"Stripes?" She ignored Logan as the building came closer and closer.  
  
A split second before she was about to turn sharply, Wolverine grabbed the bars and swerved the bike to the right so fast they both fell off.  
  
The van smashed into the wall.  
  
"Ah had it under control Logan!" Rogue tried to glare at him, but couldn't. He was laughing and pointing at the remains of the vehicle.  
  
"That was a great idea, kid." He grinned at her, and she smirked back.  
  
"Ah know."  
  
"Freeze!" A couple of the agents had leapt out of the van before it crashed, and were now aiming their guns at the two mutants.  
  
"Do people EVER freeze?" The southener asked Wolverine as they both slid into fighting positions.  
  
"Only geeks." He grinned.  
  
"It's a good thing we're cool." She clenched both fists, confidant she wouldn't need to take off her gloves.  
  
"Oh yeah." Three silver claws protruded from each hand. His eyes glinted dangerously.  
  
They surged forward at the same instant, able to read each other's moves instinctively. Within seconds, they were tied. Four men down each.  
  
Suddenly Logan heard Rogue let out a surprised yelp. He turned and felt something prick his neck. A man was standing next to the wrecked van, holding up a gun different from the ones the others had used.  
  
Tranquilizers.  
  
A quick glance in her direction, told Logan the girl was down for the count and even with his mutant healing factor he could feel his eyesight beginning to dim, until it went completely black.  
  
The two mutants had been captured.  
  
***********~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
You like? I really really hope so! If u think the van thing was unbelievable, I'm sorry, but I wanted her take out the van somehow, and it was all I could think of. They deserved it. Wasting cheeto's . . . *shakes head* Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! The next chapter will FINALLY have some angst in it!  
  
;o) 


	3. The organization

Hey everyone! I'm soooo sorry about the delay! First I had a two week camp at my church, and than ff.net refused to work (which drove me CRAZY) BUT, here's the next chapter! YAY, Angst time!! Woo hoo!

Oh! And I won't be doing individual reviewer responses as much anymore, because some people complained. 

Here you go!

*********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It was just an idea!" Brown eyes met red in a clash of interests.

"It was a bad one." The seventeen-year old didn't bother to hide the scorn in his heavily accented voice. "I can't believe you would t'ink dat I would-"

"Is it really dat bad Remy?" His adoptive father ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Maybe it be a good idea for you to go dere, dey say dey can help you with your . . . abilities."

"Say mutation pere, dat's what it is." He spat.

For a second they held each other's gaze, before the older looked away. "Merde boy, I just t'ought maybe you'd want to have some control. What you gonna do if you blow up de goods one of dese days?"

"I haven't yet." The expression in his eyes was unreadable.

"Dat don't mean anything! I'm not trying to set you up! Dis is a legitimate school!"

The young man's laugh was bitter. "Right, like dey make dose for mutants."

"I looked into dis Remy, what kind of father do you t'ink I am?"

"At this second, you don't want to hear de answer to dat one."

"Dis is real boy. De name of de school is--" He was cut off abruptly.

"I don't want to hear about dis fancy school and it's fancy name. Didn't you study your history? Auschwitz had a fancy name too." He turned and walked away, his face harder than most full-grown men can manage.

His father watched him go, knowing that if he called out to him he would only be ignored. "Merde boy. If you could only learn to trust someone maybe your life wouldn't be so hard." Sighing, he picked up the phone to inform Professor Xavier that his son would not be one of his students.

His hand shook as he dialed the number. Monsieur Lebeau was a man who liked to be in control, especially of his own body. But at that moment he was powerless to stop the compulsory twitching of his fingers. He couldn't help but wonder if suggesting the school had broken the fragile bond he had formed with his adopted son.

Only time would tell.

*****************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************************~~~~

Rogue groaned as the effects of the tranquilizer wore off on her. She could feel bruises forming underneath her layers. She bit her lip as she opened her eyes to hide her surprise. After being chased down by those creeps, she half expected to wake up in a cell, or something equally morbid. Instead, she was in what appeared to be an office, propped up in a chair. A second glance told her that both her feet and her hands were handcuffed to the arms and legs of her seat. So much for waking up without needless dramatics.

She lifted her head, taking in the rest of her surroundings. There was a single light above a paper covered desk, like something from a sixties spy movie. Behind the desk sat a man in his mid thirties. He pointed his pen at her.

"Rogue?" He made it a question, but he obviously knew the answer. She growled in a very Logan like way as a response. "I'll take that as a yes." He paused, swinging his pen back and forth between his fingers. "I suppose you wonder why you're here?"

She only glared. If he was going to ask dumb questions than let him. She wasn't going to take the bait. After a few moments of silence he continued.

"Myself and my associates, the men who brought you here, are part of an organization called-" He broke off, as if afraid of saying too much. "The name doesn't really matter. We were formed to help deal with a menace, a plague of humanity, or as you might prefer, mutants."

"So y'all are gonna commit genocide in the name of humanity?" She asked with scorn. "How original."

He flashed her a cold smile. "Quite the contrary, my dear." The way he addressed her sent shivers down her spine. "Our founder was one of the first to realize that a mutant massacre wouldn't solve anything. They just keep popping up, don't they? Like weeds." His eyes were chilling. "If we can't destroy them, than we must control them. They have uses, I assure you.?" He got up from the desk and walked across the room with the use of his cane, positioning himself right in front of her and leaning his utility against the small table.

Rogue kept silent, knowing that if she answered 'no' she'd look foolish. Desperately she began wiggling her hands inside her gloves, hoping he'd move closer once she freed them.

"What is more powerful, and less traceable than a mutant?" He continued, not waiting for an answer. "It's extremely difficult to find agents though. Those that are skilled enough to kill with ease, don't like to work for others. So we tried other means, to find recruits. Blackmail worked pretty well, but it was only a temporary solution. Same with bribes. Eventually we discovered a new method. If they do not see things from our perspective, we will MAKE them." 

She must have looked confused because his face took on a pleased expression as he continued. "You'd be surprised how quickly a thing can change it's tune once it's been subjected to our er . . . methods of persuasion. But first off," His voice turned brisk. "We give you the choice. Do you wish to become an agent?" His tone was mocking.

Her gloves still hadn't come off, so she did the first thing that came to mind.

She spat in his face.

Their eyes met, and she shivered at the burning rage she saw in his. Without a word he grabbed his cane from the side of the desk and, brandishing it like a sword, struck her across the face with fearful intensity. She gasped as it made contact with her skull a second time. By the fifth time she couldn't make anymore sounds come out of her mouth.

She passed out before he reached ten.

When he finally finished, he motioned to the two guards stationed on either side behind her chair. "Take her to the other mutant, and see that she borrows his abilities. Hurry, we don't want any of the damage to be permanent. We have plans for this one. Big plans." He smiled that cold smile, and rested his cane against his desk as the guards dragged the motionless girl away.

*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********

Wolverine was mad. He was beyond mad. He was pissed.

He had woken up hours ago to a dark dank cell, with no Rogue in sight. There were solid cement walls on all sides of him but one, and that one was with titanium bars that even his claws couldn't cut. Whoever had brought them here knew who they were dealing with.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused him to stop pacing and tense up, positioning himself for an attack. He turned slowly, baring his teeth.

But froze at the sight of Rogue's still body. One guard kept a gun trained on him at all times as the other unlocked to cell and threw the girl in before locking it up again. They both left without another word, knowing that unless their files had been wrong, Wolverine wouldn't need any prodding to heal her.

For a second he couldn't move, couldn't breath. Her face was already swelling and discolored, blood covering most of it. Her nose was obviously broken and maybe even her cheekbones. And the voice in his head wouldn't shut up, muttering over and over *She's only fifteen. She's fifteen years old. She's just a fifteen-year-old girl. *

And than his limbs worked. Faster than he knew he could move, he was at her side, pressing a shaking hand against her bloodied forehead.

It worked, like he knew it would. The swelling went down almost immediately, and her bones began to straighten out and fix themselves. But it was a full fifteen seconds before she regained consciousness.

"Wha-" She looked confused for a second, before feeling the pressure of his skin on hers. "Logan, no!" She pulled away quickly, blinking back tears as he slumped over.

Glancing around at her surroundings, she saw the setting she had imagined earlier. Hugging herself tight, she crawled into a corner to wait for him to wake up. His memories were still in her, but instead of terrifying her and trying to control her, they were comforting her. She could almost hear him telling her that things were going to be okay, and that they were going to take out these 'geeks' one by one.

She held on to his voice as long as she dared, knowing it was dangerous for her to keep a personality longer than was absolutely necessary.

She just didn't want to be alone.

*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********

Remy Lebeau made his way down the streets of New Orleans with no specific destination in mind. He just wanted to get away from the man he had called father for the last seven years. He felt betrayed. Mutants were being met with more and more hatred every day, but he never expected his father to turn against him . . . to try to send him to one of those camps! All of them posed as schools, but he knew better, and so did the elder Lebeau.

He should have left when his father first showed signs of being uncomfortable with his mutation. But he'd held on to the hope that this time, he'd have a real family.

He should have known better.

*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************

SHORT! I know ! I'm sorry! And there's like NO angst either, I'm sooooo sorry! More angst next chapter I promise! Let me know what u think! ;o) And don't be afraid to correct me on accents, I suck!


	4. Internal Struggle

Yes, I know it's been simply forever since I've updated! I just got back from my SECOND camp! Trust me when I say that I desperately missed writing and I'm going crazy trying to scribble down my ideas. Oh! And for the record, I'm the biggest Romy fan alive, so no worries there! Anyway, without further ado, here is the second chapter!!! Oh! And I recommend that you listen to Whisper by Evanescence while reading this. Makes it better.

*********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolverine told her it had only been a few months since they had been abducted by the institute, but to Rogue it felt more like a thousand years. She didn't know how Logan could tell where each day began and ended, as they all had become little less than a blur for her. Each day was endless agony that blended into the next day and the next until her life stretched before her as an eternity of pain.

****

catch me as i fall

At first, she and Logan had shared a cell, but now the only times she saw him was when she had to be healed after being tortured to near death. She used to fall unconscious when the pain got too bad, but they had found a way to stop that. Now there was no relief from her never ending nightmare.

  
say you're here and it's all over now

For a long time, she had tried to cling to Logan's consciousness. It wasn't so bad, at first. She could call on his spirit and almost feel his arms enfolding her in a bear like hug. Her captors must have figured out why she wasn't in as much agony as they would like, because it wasn't long before they brought in other people she could absorb.

Against her will she was learning to fight. They would find mutants or skilled assassins from who knows where and force her skin to touch theirs. Logan's voice was soon drowned out amid the clamor of angry destroyed souls.

****

  
speaking to the atmosphere

To keep her sanity, she had tried talking to herself when she was alone in her cell. There was no Logan anymore to answer her, but she thought maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could comfort herself on her own strength. If she looked deep enough, there had to be hope. But as she searched for that lost emotion amidst all the voices in her mind, she unwillingly came to the realization that there was only one voice she couldn't hear at all.

Her own.

****

  
no one's here and i fall into myself

She was drowning in her own mind. Vaguely, she could hear outside voices, hard voices, calling out to her. Insulting her, and threatening to do even worse to her if she wouldn't give in.

But she couldn't give in. She could no longer form a coherent thought but her soul refused to give in. As if watching from far away, she heard herself scream in agony as they ripped her fingernails off, one by one.

The tears that fell seemed to fall from someone else's lifeless gaze as she had her eyes gouged out with hot irons.

And through it all came the horrified certainty that it would never stop. No matter how bad they hurt her, Wolverine's mutation would deliver her fresh for the next day.

****

  
this truth drives me into madness

Instead of longing for Wolverine's touch and the comfort it brought, she began to dread it. Every touch, every contact, came with the knowledge that her miserable life was being prolonged. And Logan's voice had ceased to be a relief. His mind had become over run with hopelessness that only added to her own despair.

Her life had ceased to be an ongoing ordeal, instead dwindling to snapshots of what had been and what she endured. There were days when she no longer knew her own name. 

And no matter how many times she made contact with Logan's flesh, nothing could cure the growing hole that was forming where she had once had a heart. Nothing seemed to matter anymore except the agony she endured. Nothing else was real.

****

  
i know i can stop the pain if i will it all away

She closed her eyes as each and every bone in her body began to break. She clamped her mouth shut, refusing to acknowledge the pain as she felt her eyelids rip off. She held her breath so as not to gasp when they sliced of her fingers and facial features. With each drop of blood came the knowledge that while her body would heal, nothing could ever erase the blood that stained her hair and flesh. 

She was a living corpse.

As they dragged her near lifeless body to Wolverine's cell, she commanded what was left of her body not to flinch at the sight of his haunted gaze.**  
  
don't turn away**

Calmly she stretched out her hand, knowing that if she didn't they would only force her to. She braced herself for the sudden rush of thoughts and emotions that came with her healing. The rage was almost uncontainable. He was all Wolverine now.

****

  
(don't give in to the pain)

They had ripped out his adamantium. She felt his pain as surely as if she had lived through it herself. They had put it back, of course, if he could be tamed he would need it to be successful. Both processes had very nearly driven out all his sanity.

It wasn't just Wolverine she began to feel. At her sudden mental weakness, all the souls she had ever consumed threatened to overwhelm her.

****

  
don't try to hide

She braced herself. That was all she could do. Unable to stop them, she weakly allowed her mind to be rampaged by the restless spirits knowing that none of them were strong enough to completely take over.

They hated her. All of them had gone on to live their lives, but the pieces of their souls that remained within her hated her with a fierce passion.

****

  
(though they're screaming your name)

She closed her eyes, unable to block the vile obscenities they screamed at her until she felt her own throat go hoarse.

Hours later in her own cell she finally managed to pull them under her control according to her will.

****

  
don't close your eyes

(God knows what lies behind them)

Shivering, she huddled in the corner against the wall, hugging her knees tightly. Eyes wide open, she waited out the night in haunted horrified anticipation for what would come the next day.

Her self hate denied her a peaceful sleep.

****

  
  
don't turn out the light  
(never sleep never die)

Her fear denied her sleep at all.

****

  
  
i'm frightened by what i see

The next day they dragged her to the chair. A bed of sorts that came complete with straps that contained her no matter how strong the body she was forced to absorb. This was the place she was always taken when they forced new temporary abilities on her.

She began to chant her mantra inside her head, praying to some unknown deity that these new voices wouldn't overrule her own.

__

My name is Rogue.

They dragged out the first victim. A woman with blue skin, chained so tightly she must have put up a good fight.

__

I am fifteen years old.

The feeling of that scaly flesh against hers terrified her almost as much as the sudden rush of foreign thoughts. Dimly, she heard to voices scream. She assumed they belonged to both her and the blue woman.

__

My name is Rogue.

They dragged out the next mutant.

****

  
but somehow i know that there's much more to come

She couldn't explain it. But the smirks that covered the faces of the agents were different this time. It gave her a terrified sense of impending doom.

The next mutant was a girl, probably about the same age as her. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and wasn't hand cuffed in anyway.

She came of her own free will.

That's what the smirks were about. That was the reason for the exchanged sneers.

This absorption would be complete.

Rogue prayed for her soul.

****

  
immobilized by my fear

She couldn't move. She wanted to thrash against her chains, she wanted to scream for all she was worth. But her body refused to follow her commands.

She was utterly helpless.

****

  
and soon to be blinded by tears

She could feel her tears welling up, but proudly refused to shed them. She had survived everything they'd thrown at her. If she gave up now, before the absorption even begun, than she had already lost the battle for her soul.

****

  
i can stop the pain if i will it all away

Deep down, she surmised that she knew this would happen all along. An agent with enough hate in them that they would sacrifice everything to control the body of a powerful assassin.**  
**

She held her breath, and tried to drown out the sound of approaching footsteps.

****

  
don't turn away  
(don't give in to the pain)

Icy blue eyes met haunted green ones. A hand stretched towards her face without the slightest sign of trembling. Rogue refused to let herself pull back.

Contact.

Neither screamed out loud.

****

  
don't try to hide  
(though they're screaming your name)

The blue woman's voice was quickly drowned out by the blonde's growing presence.

Ten seconds.

Rogue could almost see the blue eyed girl in her mind, the voice was so strong. And it was growing.

Twenty seconds.

The hand was still on her cheek. Both bodies seemed frozen in place. Both women refused to make a sound.

****

  
don't close your eyes  
(God knows what lies behind them)

Eyes wide opened, they stared unseeing into each others gaze. The light began to fade from the newcomers eyes. Now Rogue could see her reason for sacrificing her soul. The agency had trained her well, making her believe that she was helping a noble cause. She only believed because if it was a lie she had nothing left to live for.

Her body began to sway.

****

  
don't turn out the light  
(never sleep never die)

The woman named Carol Danvers collapsed at her feet, joining the body of the woman known only as Mystique.**  
  
fallen angels at my feet**

Rogue stared at the fallen bodies, her gaze unseeing as she fought the battle for her soul.

****

  
whispered voices at my ear

__

I am Rogue. I am fifteen. I am Rogue Danvers. I am fifteen. I am Rogue Danvers, I am sixteen. I am Carol Rogue Danvers. I am sixteen. I am Carol Danvers. I am sixteen.

****

  
death before my eyes

She was dead. The whole and complete soul of Carol Danvers now inhabited the body of the girl known only as Rogue.

****

  
lying next to me i fear

She had never been so afraid. She had never been so close to losing the only thing she had ever thought she owned.

****

  
she beckons me shall i give in

The pain was fading from her memory as if it had been nothing but a bad nightmare. Danvers was offering her a life with no memory of pain. She could erase her fear.

****

  
upon my end shall i begin

She struggled to remember why it was so important the Rogue part of her live, but ever time her mind called upon images of Wolverine and their mutant saving they were interrupted by snapshots of her torture.

She couldn't bear it any longer.

****

  
forsaking all i've fallen for i rise to meet the end

__

I am Carol Danvers. I am sixteen.**  
  
don't turn away  
(don't give in to the pain)**

She was slipping. It wasn't worth fighting anymore. She didn't understand what she was fighting. Was she even still fighting?

****

  
don't try to hide  
(though they're screaming your name)

The voices were drowning her like never before. They were consuming her, but so also, were they consuming the newcomer.

****

  
don't close your eyes  
(God knows what lies behind them)

Her green eyes still open, neither Rogue nor Danvers looked out through them.

__

I am . . . I am . . .

I . . .

I . . .

****

  
don't turn out the light  
(never sleep never die)

She was nothing. Whatever she had once been was replaced by a machine that wanted nothing other than vengeance regardless of the cost to herself.

She didn't know why she was so angry.

She didn't know whom she was so angry at.

She was putty in the agency's hands.

****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********

All done! I hope u don't hate me for using a song! It just happens sometimes! I LOVE Evanescence and a LOT of her songs work for my fics. I finally gave into temptation with this one. If you hate me, let me know, but I'll love you even more if you don't hate me! Let me know what you think PLEASE! And I LOVE you for reading this! I'll update as soon as possible! I have five fics so it's a little hard.**  
**


	5. Memories

Yay! I'm updating again! It's sure taking me long enough isn't it? Oh well, y'all forgive me, right? ….. and if you don't than just read. Lol, enjoy!

Oh! And all song suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks girl number 1! I like the dear diary song and I think I'll use it. The song really works for the story! And I'm DEFINITELY using more evanescence!!!!!

Okay, enjoy!

*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~  


Two years.

It had been two years since the man known as Wolverine had been 'murdered' by the agency. They had decided that, due to her new invulnerability, Rogue no longer needed him. He was even a liability, due to their close connection. They didn't want her to remember who she was.

He remembered that day so vividly it made the moment pale in comparison. He had been dragged from his cell to another room filled with agents. In the center, everyone else keeping a safe distance, was Rogue.

At least, it was her body that stood so tall and proud. He wasn't sure _who_ was lurking behind her empty gaze.

"Rogue?" He had whispered. He still hated his voice for shaking.

She didn't even acknowledge that she'd heard him. She was tense, motionless.

"Kill him." The command was spoken by the man Logan had 'met' in the bar all those months before. His gray eyes were steel as they followed the movements of the would-be assassin.

She didn't even hesitate. And that hurt more than the blows that followed.

"Mr. Logan? Are you okay?" The young voice, so like Rogue's in it's concern for him, brought him out of his reverie.

"Yeah half-pint. I'm fine." He flashed her a halfhearted grin. It was a comical scene. The big tough brawler looking guy conversing with the petite freshman. He took another sip of his beer. Normally he wasn't allowed to drink at the institute, but if any one tried to stop him today, they'd regret it. 

Some things hurt too much to remember without it.

He could tell Kitty was eyeing his bottle disapprovingly. "Do you realize how like, bad that is for you?" She asked, cocking her head. For a genius she sure asked dumb questions.

"No." He drawled. "Why don't you enlighten me."

She paused, not expecting that answer. "Uh, well, like, really really bad!"

"I'll keep that in mind." He took another sip.

"Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you never drink anymore, not since the professor like, uh, _asked_ you to stop."

He snorted at her delicate reference to the shouting match he'd had with Xavier. He still didn't know why he had given in to the bald guy. Maybe he really was getting soft. It hadn't been until he had pointed out the students would be watching his example that Logan finally stopped to think about it. He couldn't help but remember trying to talk Rogue out of going with him to the bar. It was so long ago, but he could still here her southern drawl declaring that he was "No fun, mister."

He didn't want to fail anyone else like he had failed her.

Maybe if he'd have been a better example, trusted her more, or tried to lead a more respectable life, she wouldn't have been taken. Maybe they'd still be together.

The freshman was still eyeing him in concern. "Mr. Logan?"

"Some things are better left unsaid kid. Jeans waiting for you. Have fun at the mall." He took another sip, ignoring her. After a few moments she turned and left, leaving him alone with his memories.

He had never told anyone about Rogue. The professor knew, but only because the memories of their friendship had been what brought him back from the brink of sanity. When the X-men had found him, he was half-crazy, stumbling in the Canadian woods like a wild man. Xavier had gone into his head, forcing the memories to resurface, saving what was left of the man known as Logan.

The professor had seen everything. He had stayed up countless hours, unable to sleep for the horrifying scenes that plagued him.

The fact that Wolverine was still alive said something, though both men were afraid to vocalize their idea. Rogue could have killed him . . . should have. But something had stopped her right before she finished the job. As far as anyone else could tell, he was dead. It had taken days for him to wake up as it was. But Rogue knew, she had to have known, that he was still breathing, however slightly, but she hadn't finished him off.

Maybe he hadn't imagined the flash of pain he thought he'd seen in her eyes before she struck the final blow.

Whatever the case, he was alive. And so was Rogue, wherever she was. Occasionally there would be murders on the news. Secret government agents, or brilliant scientists found dead in their own homes, without a mark on them.

It was Rogue.

He'd have known that even if a security camera hadn't picked up a flash of white streaked brown hair. There was never any sign of a battle. She didn't need to fight, though she could.

All she needed was a touch.

He didn't want to think about what this was doing to her already fragile psyche. 

He drained the last of his drink and headed to the fridge for another.

Today was gonna be a long day.

********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Sugah."

The middle-aged security glanced up and froze. Standing before him was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen.

And her outfit didn't help his breathing ability at all.

The black halter-top went perfectly with the dark leather pants. Her boots were leather too, the heel making her already impressive height model-like. Black gloves covered both hands, making her look tougher than most women her age. The spikes on her choker were the only things not black on her and they glinted ominously as she walked towards him.

"Ah don't suppose y'all know what room Mr. Ishida is in?" A lock of white hair escaped from the tumbling cluster of brown and fell across one of her exotic emerald eyes.

"I uh . . . I, that is, I . . . I . . ." He swallowed hard. "Sure." His voice came out higher than normal. "It's room sixty two, B." 

She nodded, smiling slightly. His heart threatened to stop beating. "Alright, than there's just one more thing you can do for me."

"What's that?" He leaned forward, forgetting his wife and kids at the sight of her smile.

He died before he heard the gunshot. Calmly she tucked it back into the back of her pants. "Ah can't have any witnesses, now can Ah?" She spoke to the corpse as if she were talking to a friendly acquaintance. "That just wouldn't do at all. Thank you for your help."

She stepped over the lifeless body and headed for the stairs. Not bothering to climb up them, she lifted her body into the air and flew to the room her target was staying in.

62B

She didn't knock before entering. The scientist from Japan looked up, startled, at the intrusion. "Yes miss? Can I help you?" The fact that he was a puddle of hormones said something for him.

She slowly pried of a glove, finger by finger. "Why yes sir, you can." She let the glove drop the floor extending her hand. "Ah just wanted to say, Ah really love your research."

He reached forward to clasp her hand, smiling so warmly she almost felt guilty. "Why thank you Miss, I was just--" Their fingers touched and she gripped his hand in hers, refusing to relinquish the contact.

His memories flew into her, faster and faster, hurting her but no longer overwhelming her as in her earlier days. Calmly she sorted through them, her face a mask, until she found the ones she needed. Knowledge of a dozen or so top secret experiments filled her mind as she finally released his hand.

He fell to the floor, lifeless.

Mission Complete.

****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************

Red eyes blinked slowly as the sound of retreating footsteps finally faded. The man known as Gambit for both his nature and choice weapon slid slowly out of the closet he had been waiting in.

It was a well-known fact that Mr. Ishida was wealthy. It was rumored he had even brought some of his wealth with him to the America's, just in case. That was why Remy was here. It had been his plan to wait until the scientist left before easing out of his hiding place and searching through his belongings. It was a routine job. Get in, wait, find, and get out. Simple. But apparently a skunk-haired beauty hadn't been in on the plan.

He had seen the entire ordeal, deathly quiet within the closet. The southerner had walked in, shook hands with him, and left. His mind was already toying with the notion of the gorgeous woman with the poison touch. An image of her tragic beauty filled his mind. The image came complete with the scene of Ishida's murder. The tragedy of her lovely features swiftly turned terrifying. He had seen the news reports. This was the nameless assassin. The killer that never left a mark.

He shuddered as he remembered the emptiness in her eyes as her skin had touched his. There was no remorse, no guilt. It was terrifying.

He left without taking anything. The man had been robbed of something far more precious than money and Remy wasn't going to make the blow any more difficult than it had to be for his family.

And as he walked down the darkened streets, he struggled to forget the haunting vision of the assassin's eyes.

******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~************

Okay, so there wasn't much Rogue angst in this chapter. More to come I promise! What'd ya think? I know I skimmed forward a whole lot. Rogue is seventeen now, making Remy nineteen. He's been on his own a while now, stealing whenever a nice opportunity comes up. Wolverine is with the X-men but you'll find out more about him as we go along. Now, let me know what you think, k?! Please!

Rogue Pryde


	6. Hacker

Woo hoo! An update! It's been awhile. I had to finish a story, and I started one, and I have a sequel I have to start and two more fics to just update, and than this too! Yikes!  
  
And an official apology to my beta reader. Yani C. is the BEST beta reader in the world, but I'm going crazy updating but not being able to post! *sniffle* I hope she forgives me! But I can't do it!  
  
Okay, anyways, here's the chappie! Let me know what you think!  
  
*******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~*****  
  
She had seen the man with the red eyes.  
  
She was the best. Nothing escaped her notice. But he hadn't been part of the mission, so she wasn't obligated to kill him. It was like a game she played within her mind. The voices, the ones that actually agreed on anything, insisted that she complete each mission no matter what. She had learned long ago not to ignore the voices. If she tried, she no longer had control over her own body. Every movement, even the beating of her heart, would be agony.  
  
So following orders, but nothing more, was her way of rebelling against the beings that had invaded her mind. As long as she followed orders, they didn't' complain. She wasn't sure they were strong enough to complain. They lashed out in fury if she took any longer than strictly necessary to obey a command, but the rest of the time they settled in the dark recesses of her mind.  
  
There were other voices though, that never agreed on anything. The missions meant nothing to them, they wanted out. They were only shadows of a soul long since dead, but that did nothing to lessen the intensity of their hatred for her. If she let her guard down, even for a moment, they would fight each other, determined to seize control of her body.  
  
A long time ago, there had been a voice that hadn't fought her. She couldn't remember it clearly, whenever she tried the 'mission' voices would scream at her, but occasionally she would dream of that voice, and wake up with a warm feeling that made no sense. It was a man, she knew that much, and he hadn't hated her. That was confusing. She didn't understand whatever emotion he'd had for her. Hatred was the only thing she could really remember . . . and fear. But he didn't fear her either. That was all she knew. Any further attempts to delve into the memories that were actually her own, resulted in such an intense pain she was driven to her knees. It wasn't just the voices. A few months after her 'joining' as they called it, they'd placed an implant in her brain that was supposed to help with the nightmares. Apparently it did more than that, though she knew her body wouldn't let her complain.  
  
It was like being an intruder in her own body. She was there, but only to control what she was allowed to. It might have bothered her if she still felt such commonplace emotions. But she didn't. The only thing she ever felt was hate, and she didn't even what it was directed at. There were moments when the hate was gone, but it wasn't replaced by any emotion. She just felt empty. Every time she was on a mission the hate disappeared, and so did the voices. They didn't want to be around for contact. It was as hard on them as it was on her. So she faced each murder alone, without even her hate to give her strength.  
  
She didn't fear. That was the only other emotion she could recognize, and she knew she didn't feel it. Occasionally, she'd have to deal with weapons or people trying to fight back, but it never fazed her. Nothing could hurt her. No one could touch her . . . unless she made them.  
  
Now, as she finished giving her account of Mr. Ishida's experiments and theories, she watched listlessly as her 'co-workers' parted for her to leave. They were afraid of her. She strode past them, not even pretending to find their fear interesting. The room remained silently still until the door clicked behind her.  
  
It took only a few moments to reach her containment block. Mechanically, she stripped from her street clothes, designed to make her look unapproachable and slid into the black spandex body suite required for all the assassins. She wasn't the only one, but she was the best.  
  
Since she'd had a mission today, she wasn't going to be required to train with the others. She didn't appreciate the sensations that came with working side by side with them. They didn't hate enough. Some were in it for money, as part of a contract. Or maybe they wanted to get out of prison early. She always felt like she was dealing with people more pathetic than her targets. At least her victims had done something worth killing for. The other assassins knew nothing of importance. And if it ever came down to it, she could probably defeat them all without batting an eyelash.  
  
Such incompetence bothered her. It made her hate them almost as much as whatever it was that drove her. It disgusted her, being around people who knew nothing of the training she had undergone, the intense hours and agonizing muscle spasms. She had earned their fear. They had earned nothing.  
  
Once dressed, she lay on her bunk and instantly fell asleep. Her training had included this, being able to sleep at a moment's notice. On long missions, you never knew when the opportunity would arise.  
  
That night, like every other night after a mission, she dreamed. At first it was a dream of Mr. Ishida's life. The people that would miss him, the terror he felt at being robbed of what was left of his life. But than the dream changed to one that came rarely. Maybe it was Ishida's love for his family that triggered it, but she really didn't know. But moments before waking, she felt that same warmth.  
  
She got brief images, snapshots of a man teasing her, and she could feel his arm around her, unafraid of her lethal touch. And than she woke up with a gasp, startled to find her cheeks wet. Roughly, she brushed them away.  
  
It was time to train.  
  
****************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********************~~~~~~~~~~~~* *******  
  
"Logan." Professor Charles Xavier didn't bother with formalities as he wheeled into the poolroom. "You know I've been keeping track for any information on the girl via the Internet."  
  
Wolverine didn't bother to ask what girl. There was only one girl ever referred to as the girl between them. "And?" His body remained calm, the cue resting lightly in his hand. But his eyes were instantly alert, shrinking into suspicious slits.  
  
"And it seems since last nights murder, someone has been trying very hard to locate the killer." Wolverine looked at him sharply, and the professor continued. "I did some research on the man that called himself CardShark, and he covers his trail very well. In the end I had to resort to telepathy, but still only managed to get a name."  
  
Logan nearly growled as he waited for the professor to finish.  
  
"Remy Lebeau." He watched closely to see if the name meant anything to Logan, but his face only seemed to get more unreadable. "I have no idea where he lives, which probably means no where in particular. The thing that makes him different from others is that he actually seems to have found something. I only got a piece of his mind before shields went up, but he is a brilliant hacker. A Master Thief, if you will."  
  
Wolverine didn't say anything, but there was no doubt that behind his expressionless eyes his mind was working quickly. "Can you find anything else out about the guy?"  
  
The professor nodded. "I'm preparing to search with Cerebro in case the young hacker is a mutant. I can't promise anything though."  
  
Wolverine nodded. "I'll come with you." It wasn't a question. Xavier nodded, and they excited the room.  
  
*****************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************** *******  
  
Remy Lebeau's red on black eyes flew across the screen, analyzing the data as fast as his mind could register the words. There wasn't much. According to the news reviews, they didn't even know that the assassin was female, and a mutant. As he had been scrolling threw them, however, he noticed that someone else had done the same, even more thoroughly. Like most Internet news databases, the site he was at required a screen name so the owners could track who looked through what, and what articles were most popular. He had hacked into that system easily, and found that the name J9382 had read all the assassin articles, several times over, but nothing else. That was very interesting.  
  
It wasn't as stupid as it sounded. The people who had researched it probably figured no one could hack into the site and get their name, so they didn't bother changing it every time. Each name had a bio, though Gambit knew better than to believe any of the information would be accurate. Instead he put his hacking skills to work and tried to figure out what computer the false information had come from.  
  
He wasn't entirely sure what drove him. His common sense screamed at him to give it up and pray he never met the femme fatale again. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He supposed it was because she was an enigma. He could never resist a mystery like this, which was probably why he'd become a thief. He loved the thrill of getting in when no one could, the rush he got whenever he completed his tasks efficiently. But no matter how many successful thefts he managed none of them compared to what he was feeling as he gained access into J9382's computer database.  
  
After a few hours, he came to the conclusion that the computer he had gained access too wasn't the main one. It was part of a larger network, and no where near the top. How far he would have to go, he wasn't sure, but it could take a while.  
  
Slowly, he worked his way up, forgetting to eat at every meal. It wasn't until nearly a week later that he managed to get to what he sincerely hoped was the top. These people were good. He'd never come across a computer harder to hack into.  
  
Slowly, his eyes trained on the screen, he used his mouse to click into files that appeared to be security camera recordings. They were all labeled by dates, and what he guessed were room numbers. Randomly, he clicked one, curious to see what would be in them. The file name was 21505T1. February 15th of that year.  
  
His eyes widened as the screen was filled with various mutants battling against some sort of program. They were all good, he was a skilled enough fighter to recognize their talent. A lot of their moves were choppy though, no grace or finesse, but he supposed all that mattered was that they got the job done.  
  
The video was long, it covered the whole twenty-four hours of that day. He fast-forwarded a little, analyzing each fighter. Eventually his eyes caught a familiar flash of white on brown hair. He leaned forward.  
  
It was her, the girl that had murdered Ishida. It was a girl, not a woman, he realized, now that he could see her more clearly. She couldn't be older than him. Unlike the others, her body moved fluidly, with a type of deadly grace he wasn't sure he could pull off. She moved fast, never missing her target.  
  
He listed off her mutations mentally. Immediately he had seen her strength and invulnerability in action, and it hadn't taken long for her to start flying. The thing that interested him, however, was that one of the stupider mutants had accidentally struck her across the face, a boy that produced and manipulated fire. He fell to the ground, alive, but unmoving, and suddenly her body erupted into flames. She used the mutation to her advantage, not even faltering. He continued watching the video, but the boy never woke up.  
  
So that was what she had done to Ishida. Her touch pulled out abilities and maybe memories? It would make sense. An organization like that could find a lot of uses for the knowledge the scientist had had. Briefly, he wondered how crowded it was getting behind those empty eyes.  
  
He closed the file, and opened another one, this one in a different room. It was from a year or so ago. The screen changed colors, clearing in a room that looked like something from a horror movie. His eyes widened slightly, as he leaned closer.  
  
He watched in horror as the nails were ripped from her fingers. The film was silent, but he could see her biting her lip to keep from screaming as they gouged out her eyes. There were bruises all over her too. He had to look away. He couldn't watch it.  
  
He closed the file and opened another one, at a later date. Sick to his stomach, he watched as they performed other cruelties to her restrained body. She was always healed at the beginning of each day. He assumed they had a healing mutant she could steal from. He closed that and opened yet another, not wanting to see any more of their torture.  
  
She was still strapped to the same chair, but this time they weren't hurting her. He watched in confusion as several mutants were brought forward, but than had to force himself not to look away as he realized their intention. One by one they were forced to touch her. He found himself oddly proud of her for not crying out.  
  
He clicked another file in that room and fast-forwarded a little. There was a blue woman, already down on the ground, but a blonde entered. She wasn't bound in any way, and there wasn't a gun trained on her. Her small hand touched the assassin's pale face and she didn't let go. He couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched all life leave the icy blue eyes of the other girl.  
  
Finally, she collapsed, obviously dead. He felt his heart constrict as the brunette began to choke on her own tears. Eventually she calmed, and lifted her head. The hatred was still there, but it was no longer directed at the men who had chained her. A man in a lab coat approached her, said something, and than she broke her metal bindings as if they were nothing and levitated herself off the chair.  
  
He closed the file and stared at the now blank screen. He understood now, about her powers, and maybe about more. They had completely broken her. No wonder her eyes had been so empty. Willing himself to keep going, he opened another file for a different room.  
  
She was fighting a man that could heal. He must have been the reason she survived her torture. Everyone was watching. It was like some kind of initiation. Maybe he had been important to her. Killing him would be proof she was completely theirs. It didn't take long. A couple punches and his healing factor could never hope to catch up.  
  
He didn't wait to see them dispose of the body. He clicked out of the screen and completely shut off the computer, not willing to see anymore. He couldn't bear to watch it. What had they done to her?  
  
What had become of her?  
  
That night he dreamed of the girl. Her eyes were no longer empty, but filled with a pain that wrenched his heart. She was killing him. He was bleeding in various places and his head was swimming. He was fighting back, but barely, eventually he even stopped struggling. She lifted up his body, and he could see regret and self hatred etched clearly across her lovely features. His heart went out to her. Slowly, she brought his face closer to hers.  
  
He woke up before she had given him the kiss of death.  
  
He didn't sleep the rest of that night.  
  
****************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~********************~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Okay! So what do y'all think? This had more Rogue angst, but maybe not enough. Oh well. Trust me, there'll be more. And Remy and Logan are going to meet up . . . it's gonna be interesting, I can tell you that much! Anyways, I'll update as soon as I can!!  
  
Rogue Pryde 


End file.
